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Electrical systemPart report

2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450 Electrical system Problems

Complaints
18about this part
Share
50%of 36 total for the year
Median mileage
6,550miles
Trend
FallingComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are at least 25% lower than in the 3 years before.

NHTSA recorded 18 complaints about the electrical system of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450, 50% of the 36 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 6,550 miles. 1 of these say a crash was involved and 1 a fire, according to the filers. 4 recall campaigns on record are filed under a similar system.

Example complaints

Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.

“We purchased a new 2020 mercedes benz gls 450 in october 2019 from the oakland dealership and shipped the car to hawaii. The vehicle is now 117 months old and has about 4100 miles. Because our vehicle is lightly used we arranged for mercedes benz to supply and installed a 'battery minder' to keep the vehicles 48 volt system charged when we are away for an extended time. However we did not have the battery minder hooked up at this time because we are using the vehicle on a weekly basis. …”

NHTSA complaint #11402929, filed 2021-03, 4,200 miles

“While driving the vehicle, a series of electrical system warnings were displayed in rapid succession. Shortly thereafter, the vehicle lost power, the engine shut off, and the vehicle began to glide. This incident occurred on a residential street while the vehicle was travelling at 25-30 MPH. The warnings were specific to the 48v electrical system. The vehicle was operable after the incident and it was driven to the dealership. The repair invoice and the warning pictures are attached. …”

NHTSA complaint #11343628, filed 2020-08, 8,900 miles

“I have noticed a significant issue with the AC vent system of my Mercedes GLS 450. The vents seem to be distributing mold smell already took my vehicle multiple times to park place Mercedes in Dallas and they performed service but the issue is persistent. I have taken the vehicle to my local Mercedes service center, where they attempted to address the issue. However, despite their efforts, the problem has persisted. This defect is impacting not only the comfort of my driving experience but also the overall value and performance of the vehicle. …”

NHTSA complaint #11539815, filed 2023-08

“While driving on the New Jersey Turnpike on November 17, 2023, a burning smell was noticed inside the car. The smell lasted about an hour. No smoke was present and the car continued to operate. While concerned, I assumed it was environmental and outside the car. On November 25, 2023 my car threw a 48V battery warning and forcibly shut off. We were not on a highway at the time and were able to pull over to a gas station. MB roadside was called and towed the car to Euro Motorcars Devon of Devon, PA, the local Mercedes-Benz dealer and where I purchased the car and receive service. …”

NHTSA complaint #11600435, filed 2024-07

“While driving, vehicle has abruptly stopped/engine turned off causing car to not accelerate and come to a stop. One instance was on a busy freeway, causing our family to pull off the interstate with nearly no curb, risking rear-end collision due to the abrupt stalling of the vehicle. In this instance, the 48 volt battery failure warning, engine overheat warning, engine light warning came on. When MCB dealership evaluated the vehicle, there were no stored associated error codes and MCB service returned the vehicle to me saying that the issue did not occur when they drove it. …”

NHTSA complaint #11464919, filed 2022-05

Related recalls

Related service bulletins

Electrical system: other model years

YearComplaintsShare of year
20211445%
20201850%
2019416%
2018214%
2017823%

Other parts of the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450

Engine
9 complaintsForward collision avoidance
7 complaintsFuel system
7 complaintsOther or unknown
4 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
4 complaintsAir bags
2 complaintsBack-over prevention (rear camera)
2 complaintsBrakes
2 complaintsBody and structure
2 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
2 complaintsSeats
1 complaintsSteering
1 complaints

← All problems reported for the 2020 Mercedes-Benz GLS 450

About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 31, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.

To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology